Senate leaders reach deal to pass Obama’s trade bills

A day after Democrats stalled President Barack Obama’s trade agenda, Senate leaders reached a deal to vote on two controversial bills before moving to a wide-open debate on granting the White House “fast-track” authority to negotiate future trade deals.

The US Senate will vote Thursday on a customs and enforcement
bill that would require a response to countries that
intentionally keep the value of their currency low. Another
measure would expand trade with sub-Saharan Africa by allowing
countries there to sell goods in the US duty-free. Both bills
require 60 votes to pass.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters the deal will allow
“senators the opportunity to take votes on the customs and
preference bill in a way that will not imperil the increased
American exports and American trade jobs that we need.”

Once the Senate has voted on the two bill, Democrats have agreed
to a debate a package that includes the Trade Promotion Authority
(TPA) and the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) bills. Both of
these are desired by the Obama administration in order to finish
a massive trade deal with 12 Pacific Rim countries and another
with Europe.

Debate on these two bills would be subject to open amendment and
will give senators an opportunity to vote on changes.

Earlier in the week, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid (Nev.)
had wanted to combine Obama’s fast-track authority, the currency
and African trade bills into a single package, which his caucus
supported. They voted to block the debate on Tuesday when it
became clear they would not get the votes to do so.

"The announcement today will drive home the importance of the
message that the pro-trade Democrats sent yesterday," said
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who helped design the compromise after
filibustering the deal on Tuesday, according to the Huffington Post. "That
enforcement, enforcement of the trade laws is a prerequisite to a
modern trade policy, a trade policy that sets aside once and for
all the NAFTA playbook. Suffice it to say that was the message
conveyed yesterday by pro-trade Democrats."

Public disclosures about the in-the-works agreement have been few
and far between. In many instances, they have been provided by
the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.

On Tuesday, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) raised concerns on the
Senate floor over the Obama administration's lack of transparency
with regards to what’s being discussed by trade deal
participants.

“Let me tell you what you have to do to read this
agreement,” she said, according to the Intercept. “Follow this:
you can only take a few of your staffers who happen to have a
security clearance — because, God knows why, this is secure, this
is classified. It has nothing to do with defense. It has nothing
to do with going after ISIS.”

Supporters of the trade deal with Pacific nations, known as the
Trans-Pacific Partnership, argue that it will help expand foreign
markets to American businesses and boost the economy. Opponents,
however, claim that it will cost Americans jobs and that it does
not go far enough to protect human rights, the environment and
the internet, among other things.